Multistate Approach to Preparing Registered Nurses: How 3 Nurse Executives Shaped a New Nursing Education Model

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• Employer demand for specific nursing competencies drove innovation in education.
• Existing prelicensure nursing programs required adaptation to meet evolving healthcare needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a new competency-based, asynchronous, single-curriculum prelicensure nursing program.
• To address the need for a flexible and effective model for preparing registered nurses (RNs).

Main Methods:

• Development of the first competency-based, asynchronous, single-curriculum prelicensure nursing program in the U.S.
• Establishment of a multistate approach to preparing RNs (MAP RN) program, championed by nurse executives.
• National accreditation and initiation of the program in five states.

Main Results:

• Successfully launched the first competency-based, asynchronous prelicensure nursing program.
• The multistate approach to preparing RNs (MAP RN) program has been implemented across multiple states.
• The program has received national accreditation, signifying quality and adherence to standards.

Conclusions:

• The developed model effectively addresses employer needs for competent RNs.
• The competency-based, asynchronous approach offers a scalable solution for nursing education.
• Partnerships can successfully drive innovation in healthcare education.